Erme Valley Relays, Ivybridge – 6 July 2012
An amazing turn-out of Musketeers allowed us to enter a record four teams, four times that of last year.
Two male teams and two female teams did the Musketeers proud in a record field of 91 teams with four runners per team.
Team events and relays are not a common and it is a rewarding way to run in that you do your best, but it is for your team that you are running.
This is a very popular competition as can be seen by the turn-out and that some of the fastest runners in Cornwall and Devon took part.
Last year’s Musketeers team was a mixed boys and girls and age combination which worked out very well, but the categories are single gender and age categories – so ideally we needed single gender and single age categories to make it fair. In the end we did very well to have four teams and mixed ages to make the strongest teams. This means the team is placed in the age category of the youngest in the team.
The run was 2.5 miles per person, so ten miles per team. The run was rather tricky in places with the first third of the distance down wet twisty downhill country lanes and then along a heavily puddle and muddy level trail. The route included at least three up hills of which the first was the longest and led to many walking the second. The third hill took us to the finish.
Although only 2.5 miles, it is a tough race because you go pretty well flat out for most of it. The best pace is to take the second half the faster than the second (if you have not over done the first half), knowing you have not far to go and there are team mates waiting for you. The fastest leg in the whole event was 12.33 minutes. The winning team was Torbay male, first women’s team was Erme Valley Harriers.
From the Musketeers our first team was the male veteran 40s. Despite being relatively aged, except spring cockerel Neil who finished his leg in 17.28 min, his team – Rodney H 19.33, Barry D 15.06 and Guy B 16.11, – came 48th .
The second placed Musketeer team came 66 with Mark P heroically running twice in a team of three with 18.17 and 18.40, Kev W 18.58 and Chris W 18.31. Third Musketeers team was Louise W, 17.53, Jenny K 19.14, Nicole B 20.56 and Caroline W 23.10. Fourth Musketeers team was Emily S 25.54, Sarah A, 23.40, Lorraine D 22.56 and Jane H 19.20.
I am very pleased and grateful to all those who turned out on a damp Friday night when there must have been better things to do.
By Guy